Scientists have explained whether alien life can hide in the rings of planets such as Jupiter and Saturn. According to them, organic molecules are present there. However, in order for them to combine into something more complex, several more conditions must be met.
Where extraterrestrial life is possible in the Solar System
Scientists continue to search for life on other planets of the Solar System. The most traditional place for this is Mars, where oases with liquid water can be preserved under the surface. In recent years, scientists have also become more optimistic about Venus, where phosphine has been found. The most courageous researchers have been thinking for several decades about the possibility of the existence of organisms in the atmospheres of gas giants.
However, there is another place that has been ignored by researchers so far, although it is also possible to search for extraterrestrial life there. We are talking about the rings of giant planets, consisting of a huge number of particles of frozen liquids and gases.
This idea is not as crazy as it might seem. Scientists say that only three basic conditions are sufficient for this. The first is the presence of an energy source. The second is the presence of organic material. The third is liquid water as the medium in which all this will be located.
Are the conditions for the existence of life in the rings of planets fulfilled?
In the vicinity of giant planets, two of the three conditions necessary for the existence of extraterrestrial life are fulfilled. Firstly, there is organic matter there. At least, scientists are well aware that propane and butane are present in Saturn’s rings that fall into its atmosphere.
Secondly, although there is less sunlight there than on Earth, due to the greater remoteness of the planets, it is still enough for extraterrestrial life to exist and develop. But with liquid water there is a problem. There is quite a lot of it there, but it is all frozen and the radiation energy of our star is not enough to melt it.
However, it is possible that if the gas giant were closer to the sun and received the same amount of energy as the Earth, then water there could exist in a liquid state. This is not possible in the Solar system, however, it is likely that something similar should be looked for near other stars.
Why not look for extraterrestrial life in the rings of planets?
Unfortunately, scientists are sure that if rings exist around a planet receiving the same amount of energy from a star as the Earth, then they will consist exclusively of rocks. The reason for this is that in the absence of an atmosphere, the ice will immediately turn not into a liquid, but into a gaseous state. And the vapor molecules will be quickly lost in space.
So, extraterrestrial life in the form of organisms should not be looked for in the rings of planets. The maximum that can be found there are complex organic molecules. However, this does not mean that these majestic cosmic structures are of no interest to scientists at all.
Rings of planets allow us to study various processes occurring with their hosts, for example, collisions with meteoroids. In addition, they are small models of what the solar system looked like at the dawn of its existence.
According to www.space.com
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